LOOP COMMUNITY
THE IMPORTANCE OF COLLABORATION W / FOR KING & COUNTRY | Matt McCoy
An important part of songwriting as a worship leader is collaborating with other songwriters ! Luke Smallbone from for KING & COUNTRY joins Matt McCoy to discuss his best tips for cowriting .
1 . COME IN WITH A HUMBLE HEART
[ Matt McCoy ] Choosing to collaborate when writing songs doesn ’ t mean that you aren ’ t good enough to write a song by yourself .
[ Luke Smallbone ] When we first started working with cowriting , it immediately felt like I wasn ’ t good enough . I went into a lot of songwriting sessions thinking that other writers were so much better than me . But now I know it ’ s that the best idea wins . The best thing you can do is to come into that room with a humble heart and recognize that today may be the day you have most of the answers to the song , or very few . But your presence and your voice still matter .
[ Matt ] It ’ s important to not come in with high expectations or focus on who is contributing what during a cowriting session .
[ Luke ] A lot of people get very guarded with your ideas . Don ’ t come in with an agenda and keep score . To the best of your ability go into those rooms with a humble heart and try to create something that you feel is honoring the gift that God has given you with creativity . And inherently I believe you will come up with better songs .
2 . WRITE WITH BETTER SONGWRITERS
[ Matt ] It can be beneficial to seek out songwriters that you know are more experienced than you and write songs with them .
[ Luke ] Write with better songwriters . Write with people that are way better than you and you will get better . If you ’ re the best songwriter in every room you ’ re in , you probably won ’ t write great songs .
[ Matt ] How do you get those better songwriters to write with you ?
[ Luke ] Most songwriters can see a talent in someone else . Most songwriters , artists , painters , etc , can see a talent in others that was once in them even if it ’ s very young . Even if it ’ s just budding . Be willing to fail . You probably will get turned down by a better songwriter , but keep working on your craft and maybe a year later they ’ ll see that you ’ re still writing and growing . Songwriters are looking for other songwriters that are budding . Most of the time in music you go in seasons of doing well , and sometimes you have to recreate yourself to come up with fresh ideas . Those fresh ideas usually come
from someone sparking something in them and that can often come from the young . Young and youth can do things that are naive , in a good way , that make experienced songwriters think ‘ I never thought of creating like that .’ That ’ s why you need young talent .
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Watch the full interview by clicking the video above for more songwriting tips from Luke Smallbone .
Be sure to listen to for KING & COUNTRY ’ s new album What Are We Waiting For ? wherever you stream music !
Download the Master Tracks for the entire album to lead the songs at your church on LoopCommunity . com .
Matt McCoy Matt is a worship leader , songwriter and Ableton Certified Trainer from Chicago , IL . He has been using Ableton and tracks in worship since 2002 . He ’ s passionate about creating new products and teaching worship leaders and artists how to use technology in live performance . www . LoopCommunity . com